Lean On Me
by Cause You've Already Got Me
Summary: When Peyton's life is coming to an end, who will be the only one to save her? Lucas&Peyton OS


_D E A T H_

I know I know, I'm just a teenager, I shouldn't be thinking about death, but you _can't_ live without thinking about death. How will I die? Will it hurt? Would people miss me? How many would show up to my funeral if any? How many would visit my grave and leave flowers? Would people cry over the loss of me? Would I leave an impact on the earth? Will I be remembered? And well, what comes after death? Is there really a place known as the 'after world' or is it all made up? Does heaven and hell really exist? These are the things you can't help but wonder. Well I'm wondering all of these things except how I will die, well because frankly I already know the answer to that one.

_L E U K E M I A_

I have a cancer known as leukemia. I'm 18 years old and have barely started my life and it's almost over. I'm going to die. It comes to the point in your life when you have to realize that you're not going to make it. Might as well say my goodbyes now and enjoy what little time I have left.

I've been in a mood for the past while. Pushed away my friends, but I was ready to talk. I needed to tell someone what was really happening.

"Peyton honey what's wrong?" She placed her palm in her friends.

"I have to tell you something, but you need to not freak out or tell anyone. Can you promise me that please?" Peyton's eyes became watery, as she fought for the tears not to slip.

"Of course, I promise. What is it?"

"I have cancer." The words came out of Peyton's mouth muffled, quiet, and full of fear.

_There was silence._

"What?" Tears started to form in the brunette's eyes.

"It's Leukemia." It sort of made sense. But Brooke didn't want to believe. She didn't want to believe that the missing hair wasn't from a bad hair cut, she didn't want to believe that the bruises on her skin wasn't from falling and she didn't want to believe that the dark circles under her eyes wasn't from not sleeping.

"Peyton if your skinny ass goes anywhere before I say so, we are not best friends anymore." She tried to be strong, but she couldn't hold it in. The tears spilled down her cheeks and on to her clothes.

"Brooke I need you to promise me you'll be happy. You need to find a boy, and fall in love, get married, and have a million children. And take good care of Lucas please."

"Peyton, you are not going to die." Brooke tried to reassure her best friend.

"Brooke, we have to face the facts, I am going to die." These words broke Brooke's heart. If she wanted Peyton to be strong, she'd have to be strong to.

"No, I won't let you. "

"Brooke, life goes on. You're life will go on."

"How can you be so okay with this?"

"Because I'm scared."

"I changed my mind, can you tell everyone for me? Please? I just don't want to see all the pitty or sympathy in their eyes when they find out." Peyton asked of Brooke.

"Yeah of course, bur right now I'm just going to hug you." She wrapped her arms around her best friend, who closed her eyes remembering of those better days.

Later that day Brooke did what Peyton wished.

"I need to talk to you." Brooke said to Lucas, Nathan and Haley with tears in her eyes. Clearly their hearts couldn't bear to take what was coming next.

"It's Peyton." She said quietly.

"What's wrong?" They all asked extremely worried.

"Peyton is sick. She has Leukemia."

"I don't understand. When did she find out? How long have you known?" Haley asked. Lucas sat there too stunned to utter a word, but really his heart was breaking.

"I'm not sure how much longer Peyton is going to be around." This is the first time Brooke admitted it to herself, none the less everyone else. "The doctors say it could be a matter of months." That was it. Haley couldn't keep her tears from falling. Peyton was like a sister to her and Brooke and now she was going to be ripped out of their lives.

_Please don't leave me after all._

"I just can't take this anymore. I just can't win." Peyton states. She closed her eyes, wanting to give up on her life right here, right now.

Her tears break my heart. And they bring me down, as well as everyone else. She's hurting and I can't help her. I don't know what else to do, so I just sit and cry too. But I can't let her see me, I need to stay strong for her. Peyton means the world to me Lucas thought. She's _my_ world.

"Peyton you need to do the chemo."

"Just let me die please. It'd be so much easier on everyone. No one would have to worry about me."

"I am not going to let you die. Don't you know me well enough?"

"I do, but it's what I want."

"There are people who would do anything to live, and you're just giving up?"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You're right. I'll continue, but for myself and maybe you to."

"Good." Lucas went with her into the chemotherapy room.

_When things go wrong, sometime's we fall, the world turns and we move along, and that's what makes us who we are. So just be strong. Cause life's not long, before long we'll all be gone and this will be the last day._

"The bone marrow transplant could be proven to be curative, but there are serious risks involved. There's infection, internal bleeding, the chance your body could reject the transplant, and not everyone survives the procedure. But, if everything goes fine you could be cancer free."

"It's dangerous." Haley stated. "Is there not some other chemo we can try first?"

"Well we can, but I'm not sure it'll work, and then she'll just be weaker for when you try the bone marrow transplant later and there's a more likely chance she won't make it."

"Guys, the chemo isn't working." Peyton brought it back to their attention.

"I think she should do it." Nathan said.

"I'm with Nathan." Haley said. "Peyton, you're the strongest person I know. You'll get through it."

"What do you want Peyton?" Brooke asked her best friend knowing her opinion was the most important.

"I want to live."

"None of this happens till we have a match." Dr. Kriszenfeld said. "Peyton, do you have an family members we can test?"

"I'm adopted, so no. Well I met my birth mother, but she died, and I've never met my father."

"Would you guys be willing to have a blood test done to see if any of you are matches?" The doctor asked them.

"Of course." Brooke answered quickly. "We'd do anything for her."

_I don't know who I am, who I am without you._

"I'll do it."

"Lucas you can't."

"Why, not I'm the perfect match, and it could take them forever to find you another donor."

"No I can't let you Lucas. You're my best friend I won't allow it."

"Peyton, you're my best friend and I won't watch you die. I won't let you die. I couldn't live with myself if you didn't accept my offer and something happened to you." What he really wanted to say was _I love you_ at that moment.

"Mr. Scott would you please come with me?" Dr. Kriszenfeld asked sweetly. He needed to be taken down to the operation room.

"I'll see you later, Peyton." He followed the doctor out of the room, and Brooke walked in.

"You know he loves you right?" Brooke asked her best friend.

"I know, I know, but what if I never see him again? What if I never see you again?"

"I don't ever want to hear those words come out of your mouth . You are a warrior. You're a fighter, you're going to make it through this. We're going to be okay. Just stay strong and don't give up."

_If the mind keeps thinking you've had enough. But the heart keeps telling you don't give up. Who are we to be questioning, wondering what is what. Don't give up. Through it all, just stand up._

"I'm scared she won't make it."

Brooke had a way of making herself go crazy. She worried way too much. Well if your best friend was in the hospital fighting for her life, I guess you'd be to.

"Brooke, honey, your going to run a hole into the floor." Haley said.

"Good they need new floors anyway. How long has it been?"

"3 hours and 2 minutes."

"That's what you said last time I asked."

"That's cause you asked me 20 seconds a go."

"Family of Peyton Sawyer?"

"Here. How is she?" Brooke wondered, she'd been pacing back and forth for the last 3 hours.

"You made it over the first hurdle, her body accepted the transplant."

Haley let out a deep breath relieved. Brooke however didn't.

"So she's okay, the cancer's gone?" Brooke asked the doctor.

"She's sleeping right now. She's not in a coma, but it may feel like it. She'll be in remission as soon as she wakes up, but we'd like to do just one more test to make sure."

"And how long until she wakes up?"

"It shouldn't take too long. It depends on her really. Don't worry, she's out of danger."

"Can I see her?" Brooke asked. She needed to see her best friend.

"Yeah, she's in room 136."

"Thank you Dr. Krizsenfeld."

"You can call me Emma."

Brooke walked over to the room with Haley and Nathan. They looked at their friend laying there helpless on the bed.

They each took turns holding her hand and speaking to her hoping she could hear their thoughts and prayers.

Eventually Brooke was the only one left. She wouldn't leave the hospital, not even Peyton's room. She told herself and everyone else that she would not leave until Peyton woke up, no matter how long that took.

"I need you to wake up Peyton. I need you. You're my best friend." Brooke held Peyton's hand. "Squeeze my hand if you can hear me."

There was no movement. This moment made Brooke this of the song _Her Diamonds._ The artist wrote the song about his wife that had cancer. She wanted to give up on life just like Peyton, and her tears were like diamonds. And just like in the song Brookes diamonds fell to the floor. She needed her best friend more than anything in the world.

Peyton's finger twitched.

"Peyton?" Brooke questioned and wondered at the same time if she was really awake.

She heard nothing in return. Her eyes felt tired, and her eyelids closed and she drifted off to sleep laying on her friends bed as she sat in a chair.

She dreamed of a memory of a snow day back in sixth grade. Peyton and Brooke had got together and built a snow fort with a tunnel. And they stayed in there all day. They felt safe. But then it got cold, and Brooke shivered in her sleep at the memory.

Peyton opened her eyes to see her best friend at her side sleeping. Her hand still intertwined with Brookes. As weak and as tired as she was she moved her finger up and down. Brooke flinched a bit, but didn't wake up. With all her strength Peyton used her hand to squeeze Brookes. She awoke suddenly, not knowing what was the cause. She looked around the room and then to Peyton to see her green eyes staring into hers.

"You're awake." Brooke yelled. Before remembering she was in a hospital and had to be quiet. She was just _so_ happy!

"You said you'd disown me if I left without permission." Peyton spoke weakly.

"How do you feel?"

"Water?"

"Of course." Brooke picked up the glass that sat next to Peyton and put it to her lips to help her sip from.

"How's Lucas?" Peyton wondered, of course.

"Look at you caring more about him than yourself. He's perfectly fine, just worried about you like everyone else. I should go get the doctor."

"Okay, thanks." That was to finding out about Lucas, not the doctor.

After Peyton awoke the doctors took her into a room to do one last test to make she was okay to leave.

Well, she was.

Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer was in remission.

Lucas walked over to visit Peyton in her room. He heard she was fine and cancer-free and he couldn't be more happy. She was sleeping at the time he came to see her, but he talked to her anyway.

Expressing his true feelings for her, but she wasn't actually sleeping and she heard it all.

As he was leaving the room, he heard her say his name. No one else said his name the way she did. She said it with such grace. He turned to face her as she spoke to him.

"Lucas, I love you too. And _not _just because I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. I'm in love with you, and I think I always have. I just didn't want to say anything in case I wasn't here anymore. I didn't want to leave you with nothing."

"You could never leave me with nothing. I'm just so happy you're still here."

"Thanks to you. You're _always_ saving me."

"Somebody's got to."

He kissed her on the lips gently and her whole world fell into place.

'_Cause in the end we were just two people destined to collide._


End file.
